NEW YORK, April 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Jeffrey Modell Foundation today announced the opening of a new center at Johns Hopkins Children's Center dedicated to the early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of children with primary immunodeficiency (PI), a group of potentially fatal conditions in which the immune system malfunctions or is missing.

The newly-established Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic and Research Center for Primary Immunodeficiencies, located on the Hopkin's Children's campus, will enhance the resources that are currently available to patients with PI in the greater Baltimore area. The center will also conduct research to explore the basis of these rare, genetic diseases.

"There is a large, under-diagnosed population of children and young adults suffering with these debilitating diseases and keeping them from enjoying a full life," said Vicki Modell, Co-Founder of the Jeffrey Modell Foundation. "Their illness interrupts their activities, detours their plans, and shatters their dreams. We are honored that a world renowned institution such as Johns Hopkins has joined our network of more than 100 Centers around the world."

Funding for the center was given to the Jeffrey Modell Foundation by Talecris Biotherapeutics, a biotechnology company that produces plasma-based protein therapies to treat PI and other rare disorders (www.talecris.com).  

"The Jeffrey Modell Foundation's unwavering dedication to the early diagnosis and treatment of PI is evident through its many successful endeavors, the most recent of which is the expansion of diagnostic services and outreach at Johns Hopkins," said Lawrence D. Stern, Chairman and CEO of Talecris Biotherapeutics. "Talecris' collaboration with the Jeffrey Modell Foundation and Johns Hopkins demonstrates our ongoing commitment to improving the lives of those with PI."

About Hopkins Children's Center

Hopkins Children's Center is an international leader in the study and treatment of a wide variety of inherited primary immunodeficiencies and home to the Hopkins Children's Immunodeficiency Clinic, the Pediatric Immunology Laboratory and the Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T) Clinical Center. The lab and the clinics are at the forefront of research to unravel the mechanisms and the pathogenesis behind a spectrum of inherited primary immunodeficiencies. Hopkin's Children's specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis, testing, and long-term management of patients of all ages who have known or suspected primary immunodeficiencies

About the Jeffrey Modell Foundation

The Jeffrey Modell Foundation was established by Vicki and Fred Modell in memory of their son Jeffrey who died at the age of 15 from complications of a Primary Immunodeficiency. The Foundation is dedicated to early and precise diagnosis, meaningful treatments, and ultimately cures Primary Immunodeficiencies. The Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic and Research Center at Johns Hopkins Children's will add to the Jeffrey Modell Centers Network which now includes more than 100 funded Centers in 56 countries.

About Talecris Biotherapeutics: Inspiration. Dedication. Innovation.

Talecris Biotherapeutics, Inc. is a global biotherapeutic and biotechnology company that discovers, develops and produces critical care treatments for people with life-threatening disorders in a variety of therapeutic areas, including immunology, neurology, pulmonology, and hemostasis. Talecris is headquartered in biotech hub Research Triangle Park, N.C., and employs more than 4,600 talented professionals worldwide. For more information, visit www.Talecris.com.

SOURCE Jeffrey Modell Foundation